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Nick Barratt
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The Restless Kings: Henry II, His Sons and the Wars for the Plantagenet Crown Hardcover – January 15, 2019

by Nick Barratt (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 176 ratings
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"A vivid and humane study of the Plantagenets' diabolical and devious first family - a real joy to read."―Dan Jones, author of The War of the Roses

In The Restless Kings Nick Barratt presents the tumultuous struggle for supremacy between the first Plantagenet king, Henry II, and his four sons - a drama that tore apart the most powerful family in western Europe and shaped the future of two nations. Through force of arms, Henry II won an empire which was then lost by his son John.

Although the key events took place over 800 years ago, their significance still resonates today. The root causes of Brexit can be found in King John’s retreat from Europe, isolating himself in England, and the seeds of the current tensions in the Middle East were sown by Richard the Lionheart’s Crusade against the infidels in the Holy Land.

We also learn about some of the most powerful women of the medieval period, formidable and canny politicians in their own right who outlived their spouses and children.

The Restless Kings will challenge everything you assumed you knew about the medieval world. Above all, it brings to life some of the most remarkable, complex, flawed and brilliant monarchs ever to have sat on the English throne.
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    416 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Faber & Faber
  4. Publication date
    January 15, 2019
  5. Dimensions
    6.25 x 1 x 9.5 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0571329101
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0571329106
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"A solid political history of a royal family whose members were pugnacious, grasping, devious, and shortsighted."―Kirkus

About the Author

Professor Nick Barratt is an author, broadcaster, and historian best known for his work on BBC’s Who Do You Think You Are. He is an honorary associate professor of public history at the University of Nottingham, and Associate Director, Collections and Engagement, at the University of London’s Senate House Library as well as a teaching fellow at the University of Dundee. His most recent publication, The Forgotten Spy, tells the story of his great uncle – Stalin’s first mole in Whitehall. He has previously written on subjects as diverse as the story of Greater London and the Titanic.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Faber & Faber; Main edition (January 15, 2019)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 416 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0571329101
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0571329106
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.4 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.25 x 1 x 9.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 176 ratings

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Nick Barratt

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Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
176 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

anonimaniac
5.0 out of 5 stars Why bother with feckless fiction like Game o' Thrones?
Reviewed in the United States on November 29, 2021
Verified Purchase
These people were real. They lived and died and did stuff that makes the Lannisters and those other guys look like pikers.
7 people found this helpful
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signal261
5.0 out of 5 stars History well told
Reviewed in the United States on March 2, 2019
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Can’t get enough of Henry II, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Richard, John, Robin Hood, Ivanhoe, Beckett and the characters historical and fiction. Good treatment of Henry’s legal reforms and the murder of Beckett.
18 people found this helpful
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7103
5.0 out of 5 stars Well written and informative
Reviewed in the United States on January 1, 2020
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Very well written! Interesting history
2 people found this helpful
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Nicole Hansen
5.0 out of 5 stars Want this book on Audible!
Reviewed in the United States on January 29, 2020
Really well written. I only wish that it would be recorded for Audible, so I can listen and read it again from my headphones.
4 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

stephen clodd
4.0 out of 5 stars Great read
Reviewed in Canada on March 21, 2023
Verified Purchase
I found the book easy to follow and informative with the inner family struggles of the early plantagenets. Good starting point if you're getting into that time period.
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Carole Williams
5.0 out of 5 stars His writing carries you along quite swiftly and easily as if in conversation with the author himself
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 1, 2018
Verified Purchase
Marvelous book.... SO well researched and exceedingly well written in very accessible language. His writing carries you along quite swiftly and easily as if in conversation with the author himself. You feel transported to the eras he discusses, which he links together very well to make you have those 'Ahhhh.... I see...' moments. It's certainly on my 'read again' list.
12 people found this helpful
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Chris
4.0 out of 5 stars A title well chosen and cheekily appropriate
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 16, 2021
Verified Purchase
Nick Barrett's "The Restless Kings" was a thoroughly enjoyable rollercoaster ride through the reigns of Henry II, Richard I, and John.

Nick's narrative begins with the White Ship disaster of 1120 and ends with John's death shortly after signing Magna Carta in 1215 - almost 100yrs later. Considering an entire library of individual books have been written about each monarch in turn - not to mention Thomas Becket, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Phillip Augustus, the Third Crusade and all the various Papal interdicts in between. Is it any wonder then, that The Restless Kings progresses at a breakneck speed with very few opportunities to catch your breath - a title well chosen and cheekily appropriate.

As Barrett confesses at the end, his book is not a biography of the kings - rather an overview of their lives and times. Consequently, as a speedy introduction or refresher course in the rise and fall of the Angevin Commonwealth, this book will serve you well. It's very readable, digestible, user-friendly, and you won't be able to put it down. But if you're looking for a deeper biographical assessment of any of the major players, look elsewhere - perhaps after reading Barrett in order to remind you of the facts before exploring further. (Next on my list is a biography dedicated to John).

And I don't mean any of the above in a derogatory sense. I devoured the book in two days, and really enjoyed the telling. And although I already knew something of the Angevin kings, I was bowled over by a couple of the revelations Barrett was able to provide. I had no idea that Henry (in an attempt to bring order from anarchy) created what we would now recognise as central government, or that his (failed) attempt to bring the Church under secular control was the root cause of his enmity with Becket. It certainly provides a greater insight into Henry VIII's successful break from Rome in 1533. Nor was I aware that John offered England to Pope Innocent III as a fiefdom!

Barrett makes the point that the lives lived by these three kings and the decisions they made still influence us today. And not just here in the UK either. That's the best reason (if any were needed) to purchase his book, and understand a little more about how we now live - alongside each other, our European neighbours, and the rest of the planet.
5 people found this helpful
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Sue S
5.0 out of 5 stars A great read.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 17, 2024
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A fascinating book - I’d definitely recommend this. It’s well written but easy to read. An interesting book, it gives lots of fascinating information and insights into the these kings and the era in which they lived.
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Catlover
5.0 out of 5 stars Arrived quickly
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 27, 2024
Verified Purchase
I haven't read this book yet, but it looks good. Hard to believe it's not new . It arrived in excellent time.
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